My Mom's Having a Baby!: A Kid's Month-by-Month Guide to Pregnancy (Concept Book) [Paperback]

Dori Hillestad Butler (Author), Carol Thompson (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 2005 | Grade Level: P and up | Series: Concept Book

Elizabeth's mom is having a baby, and the whole family is involved. Elizabeth learns all about the baby's development, and she traces his growth, month by month. She learns how the baby got inside Mom, too.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 4–In a conversational tone, Elizabeth describes the month-by-month development of the baby as well as the changes in Mom's body. With a child as narrator, the text naturally includes topics of interest to readers, from the growing size of the fetus to the different ways Elizabeth interacts with him, from Doppler to ultrasound to simply feeling his hard bump of a head through her mother's tummy. Through very direct language and clear illustrations, children will learn about a man's testicles where sperm are made and the fallopian tube where an egg is fertilized. Rather than ending at this clinical description, Mom answers Elizabeth's big question, "how do Dad's sperm and your egg get together?" As part of her measured response, she explains, "The man puts his penis between the woman's legs and inside her vagina. After a while, a white liquid shoots out of the man's penis and into the woman's vagina. The liquid is full of millions of sperm." So, too, details are not spared when the birth is described. The playful and colorful illustrations add exuberance to the text, combining full-page paintings, cartoon panels, word balloons, and free-floating images, many of which are of the developing baby. The joy and love felt by all of the family members is palpable. This volume is an excellent choice for those readers who are ready to ask and be told some of life's basic facts.–Martha Topol, Traverse Area District Library, Traverse City, MI
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Booklist

*Starred Review* Gr. 2-4. Numerous books are available to prepare soon-to-be siblings for the changes that come with the arrival of a new baby in the house. Butler's goes one better by candidly and thoughtfully responding to the question many such books ignore, "How did that baby get there?" Joyous, splashy watercolors establish the warmth of a close-knit family and introduce narrator Elizabeth, about five, a bundle of energy. Her delight and curiosity spill across the pages as she explains that her mother "has a baby growing inside her" and describes what she learns about the pregnancy and her developing sib. In between, Mom talks to her about how "our baby got inside," allowing Elizabeth to relay what she learns about everything from fertilization (correct terms are usually used) to "the liquid that shoots out of a man's penis." The art is somewhat more demure than the text (lovemaking is hidden under blankets), but labeled cutaways show adults' sexual organs and the developing fetus, Mom huffing and puffing during labor, and newborn Michael smiling at the world in all his naked glory. The disconnection between the picture-book format and the informational content may be problematic for some, and certainly an adult must be around to answer the inevitable questions this book will provoke, such as, "Is breaking water like having to pee?" In the end, though, the affectionate family dynamics and Elizabeth's ingenuous, enthusiastic narration beautifully sustain the child-centric view. For slightly older children, suggest Robie Harris' It's So Amazing (1999). Stephanie Zvirin
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 32 pages
• Publisher: Albert Whitman & Company (January 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0807553484
• ISBN-13: 978-0807553480
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 5.8 x 0.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #997,835 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Dori Hillestad Butler has always wanted to be an author. She wrote her first novel when she was in sixth grade. She wrote it to find out if she could write a novel, and because she needed extra credit in her English class. Her dream of becoming a published author came true in 1997, with the publication of The Great Tooth Fairy Rip-Off. She's gone on to publish more than 35 additional books for children.

Her books have been appeared on children's choice award lists in 18 different states. Trading Places with Tank Talbott won the Maryland Children's Choice Award in 2007. And The Buddy Files: Case of the Lost Boy won the 2011 Edgar Award for best Juvenile Mystery.

Dori has also been a ghostwriter for the Sweet Valley Twins, Unicorn Club and Boxcar Children series, and a children's book reviewer for several publications. She's published numerous short stories, plays and educational materials, and has served as the Iowa Society of Children's Book Writers & Illustrators' Regional Advisor.

She grew up in southern Minnesota and now lives in Coralville, Iowa with her husband, son, dog and cat. She visits schools and leads writing workshops all over the country.

For more information, visit her website at www.kidswriter.com.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Highly Recommending "My Mom's having a baby", February 27, 2011

By 

Melanie Taylor (New Hampshire, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: My Mom's Having a Baby!: A Kid's Month-by-Month Guide to Pregnancy (Concept Book) (Paperback)

Given the circumstances that sex is a delicate subject altogether - this book serves the necessary purpose. In my opinion though, I STRONGLY want to remind people that it is the responsibility of the parent/parent-to-be to be responsible in the decision on when YOU feel it is appropriate to read this book (Or any book on the same subject matter)... this book is telling the truth from a perspective that not all parents will agree on... Im going to get that out there right now. That is why any parent/parent-to-be who is interested in picking up this book for their children, you need to take responsibility in reading it on your own FIRST, to see if this book will be appropriate for you and your spouse to use, BEFORE you allow your kids to just pick it up and read without supervision.

It is categorically where it should be (thats the first rule they followed)

It is as we all know - dealing with sex, babies, anatomy from a younger view, etc - because its this type of subject matter, PARENTS NEED TO READ IT FIRST! (too many parents are complaining, and you are unjustified if you allow your child to read it unsupervised)

The illustrations are wonderful! Bright colors, very appealing with its format.

The details are indicated not too matter-of-factly, but enough to state that a parent MUST have this book in hand WITH their child/dren present together.

Very well written.

You may or may not like the book - and that is ultimately your decision to make - however, as a strong advocate for this book, I need to STRONGLY remind people - do NOT pass judgement because you saw an interview on television. Do NOT pass judgement because you heard from another person who felt it was just wrong.

You need to form your own individual opinion (free from other negative mongers) as a responsible parent/parent-to-be, by reading this book WITHOUT your kids first. You can make the informed decision on whether or not to withhold certain words based on the age of your child and use your own - you can without a passage if you feel necessary based on the age of your child... or you can take the book for what it is and realize that this is by far one of the best non-threatening books ever written.

32 of 40 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars A bit much for the targeted age, November 6, 2009

By 

Greg J. Lovern - See all my reviews
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This review is from: My Mom's Having a Baby!: A Kid's Month-by-Month Guide to Pregnancy (Hardcover)

There is a lot to like about this book, but the graphic description of sexual intercourse is a bit much for the 4 - 5 year olds this book appears to be aimed at. It says:

"The man puts his penis between the woman's legs and inside her vagina. After a while, a white liquid shoots out of the man's penis and into the woman's vagina." This comes shortly after detailed illustrations the penis and vagina.

Kids that age like nothing more than to imitate what grownups do. That isn't just my opinion; it's widely accepted scientific fact, supported by rigorous studies. This level of graphic detail should wait until they are a little older.

In the book's defense, it doesn't go into much detail on foreplay; it does stop just short of being a sex manual for kids.

The level of detail would be fine for an older kid ready for "the talk", but a kid that age might object to being given a book so obviously intended for much younger kids, and anyway there are better resources for kids that age.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful book. Ignore the hype and see for yourself., March 16, 2011

By 

Kellye Crocker (Des Moines, IA United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: My Mom's Having a Baby!: A Kid's Month-by-Month Guide to Pregnancy (Concept Book) (Paperback)

I am shocked and sickened--NOT by the content in this warm and informative picture book, but by some reviewers' comments. (I wonder how many have read the entire book themselves and aren't simply reacting to sensationalistic television news reports?) The human body, child development, and a husband and wife lovingly creating a baby are not pornography. I, too, lament the sexualization of children in our society. This has nothing to do with that. Comparing this book to the how-to manual for pedophiles, as one reviewer did, is intellectually dishonest, outrageous and disgusting.

My Mom's Having a Baby offers accurate information to children about conception, pregnancy and childbirth. No one is trying to force this book on any child or parent. If it's not for you, great. Don't buy it; don't read it. But please don't bully the publisher, author and illustrator (and those who support it) with name-calling and threats.

Many of us turn to books to help us explain critical "birds and bees" information to our children. (I wish My Mom's Having a Baby had been around when I did.) In fact, the American Academy of Pediatrics--the nation's pediatricians--recommends that parents start teaching their children about their bodies and sexuality from a very early age. (I wrote about this in an article published in Parents magazine.) Pediatricians also encourage parents to use the proper names for body parts with toddlers and preschoolers and, when questions arise about where babies come from, provide accurate information tailored to the individual child's needs and understanding. Instead of "the talk," today doctors encourage parents to engage in ongoing, age-appropriate conversations about bodies, sexuality, and family values as their children grow from toddlers to teens.

As many moms and dads know, children often become quite curious about these issues when a new baby is on the way, including how the baby got in there and how he or she gets out. This is the perfect, straightforward book for parents and children to share. That doesn't mean it's right for every parent and child in that situation, nor does it mean that a parent has to read every sentence to his or her children. (Parents often skip parts of stories for a variety of reasons, including when the text is too long to hold a younger child's attention.)

Frankly, I'm offended at the insinuation from some that the human body and lovemaking are somehow "dirty" or shameful. My Mom's Having a Baby celebrates a joyous occasion in the life of a loving, expanding family.